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NYDN: A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER FLEES TO ISRAEL AFTER ALLEGED ASSAULT IN BROOKLYN SYNAGOGUERepublished from the New York Daily News, report by Reuven Blau A convicted sex offender stood to be arrested after he allegedly assaulted an 11-year-old boy in a Brooklyn synagogue last summer. But when police went to Yona Weinberg’s Flatbush home, they found he had fled to Israel. Now, child advocates in the Jewish […]

A convicted sex offender stood to be arrested after he allegedly assaulted an 11-year-old boy in a Brooklyn synagogue last summer.

But when police went to Yona Weinberg’s Flatbush home, they found he had fled to Israel.

Now, child advocates in the Jewish community are throwing up their hands, frustrated that the former bar mitzvah tutor and social worker was allowed to skip the country because prosecutors in the office of District Attorney Ken Thompson appeared to be slow to react.

“He’s making all of us who really campaigned hard for him look like fools,” activist Chaim Levin said of Thompson. “He seems to be playing politics. The outcome of this case is disgusting.”

Weinberg, 36, allegedly slammed the 11-year-old boy against a shelf of prayer books in the synagogue on Aug. 15, witnesses told police.

Police are prepared to arrest Weinberg on a misdemeanor assault charge, records show.

But since Weinberg is only facing a misdemeanor, authorities won’t be able to extradite him from Israel.

“In the event that he returns to New York, he will be charged,” said Lupe Todd, Thompson’s spokeswoman.

The synagogue scuffle occurred two months after the boy told cops he was “forced” to touch Weinberg’s shirt and pants, ostensibly to measure their size, a law enforcement source told the Daily News.

After investigating that allegation, Thompson declined to bring forcible touching charges, concluding it was unwarranted because the boy did not touch Weinberg’s privates.

The boy told police that Weinberg pushed him against the bookshelf, threatening further harm if he continued to talk to authorities.

Police didn’t file an official report about the alleged incident until Sept. 9, 25 days after the alleged incident. The cause for the delay is unclear.

Police went to Weinberg’s Flatbush home to arrest him a day later, but his wife said he was not home and referred him to an attorney.

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